Art Institute of Chicago

Blanket or Rug

Navajo (Diné)

Date

c. 1900

Medium

Wool, dovetailed tapestry weave; twined edges and ends

Culture

Navajo

Department

Textiles

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

This blanket or rug displays many of the characteristics of Navajo weaving made at the turn of the previous century. During this period, Navajo artists were working in an increasingly commercial environment, with many of their weavings destined for non-Indian buyers. Weavers also could sell their work through traders who would make suggestions on colors and designs in response to market trends. The bold rows of linked crosses are formed using only two colors against a variegated gray background—a limited palete that is a striking departure from the Navajo weavers' earlier vibrant "Eye Dazzler" blankets. The unusually large size of this textile suggests that it was woven for a specific purpose or location.

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